Most downloaded articles
2024, 59(4):481-492.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202424032
Abstract:
In order to mitigate the detrimental impacts of brood parasitism on their own reproduction, many hosts have evolved anti-parasitism strategies to enhance their fitness. Many studies have shown that the host’s antiparasitic defenses may occur at different stages of its life cycle. In this review, we discussed various host defenses against cuckoo parasitism at different stages of the breeding cycle, e.g., nest defense, egg recognition and egg rejection, nestling and fledgling discrimination, and then outlined basic research methods in host defense used for the field experiment.
In order to mitigate the detrimental impacts of brood parasitism on their own reproduction, many hosts have evolved anti-parasitism strategies to enhance their fitness. Many studies have shown that the host’s antiparasitic defenses may occur at different stages of its life cycle. In this review, we discussed various host defenses against cuckoo parasitism at different stages of the breeding cycle, e.g., nest defense, egg recognition and egg rejection, nestling and fledgling discrimination, and then outlined basic research methods in host defense used for the field experiment.
FANG Xin-Min
,
LI Jian
,
ZHANG De-Huai
,
MA Zhuang
,
MA Zhi-Hong
,
YIN Yue-Qi
,
TENG Yang
,
BAO Wei-Dong
2024, 59(4):505-513.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423187
Abstract:
[Objectives] Activity pattern is an important part of behavioral ecology research. Understanding the activity pattern of wild animals is a prerequisite for analyzing their survival strategies. Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserve is an important carnivore distribution hotspot with much scientific research value. It will contribute to effective biodiversity management by revealing the co-existence adaptation among the carnivores. [Methods] In this study, camera trapping technology was used to study the activity patterns of sympatric Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Asian Badger Meles leucurus and Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris distributed in Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserves. A total of 35 infrared cameras were deployed with 8 400 camera-days during the study period of the whole 2017. Among the independent camera photos, there were 393 for Leopard Cat, 682 for Asian Badger, and 797 for Hog Badger. Using the “activity” and “overlap” packages in R, the non-parametric kernel density approach was used to examine the activity patterns based on the collected data. Using the “CompareCkern” in R Studio and a 500-run round robin test, the overlap coefficients were determined. [Results] The results indicated that the annual activity pattern of the three animals changed with seasons in similar patterns and the highest activity peak happened in early autumn (Fig. 2). The overlap factor of the activity patterns between Leopard Cat and Asian Badger were high in spring and autumn (Δ = 0.747 5 in spring and Δ = 0.772 8 in autumn), while the activity peaks were different (Fig. 3). In spring, the activity peaks of the Leopard Cat appeared in 3:00﹣5:00 and 21:00﹣23:00, while the Asian Badger were more active in 23:00﹣1:00 and 16:00﹣18:00 that were earlier than the Leopard Cat. In autumn, the Leopard Cat had two peaks in 3:00﹣5:00 and 20:00﹣22:00, whereas the Asian Badger only had one peak in 21:00﹣23:00 (Fig. 3). The Leopard Cat and the Hog Badger had similar activity trends in spring and summer, on the contrary, the activity patterns were different in autumn and winter (Fig. 4). The activity patterns of Asian Badger and Hog Badger showed much different in spring, summer and autumn. The activity peak of Asian Badger appeared in 16:00﹣18:00 in spring, 15:00﹣17:00 in summer, and 21:00﹣23:00 in autumn while the Hog Badger was in relatively low activity during the same time periods (Fig. 5). [Conclusion] Through the differentiation in activity peaks, these three carnivore species produced a fine scale temporal separation and realized the co-existence of sympatric distribution. This study strengthens the understanding of the coexistence strategies of the three species which provides baseline information for conducting further studies on carnivore behavioral adaptation and planning habitat conservation measures.
[Objectives] Activity pattern is an important part of behavioral ecology research. Understanding the activity pattern of wild animals is a prerequisite for analyzing their survival strategies. Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserve is an important carnivore distribution hotspot with much scientific research value. It will contribute to effective biodiversity management by revealing the co-existence adaptation among the carnivores. [Methods] In this study, camera trapping technology was used to study the activity patterns of sympatric Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Asian Badger Meles leucurus and Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris distributed in Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserves. A total of 35 infrared cameras were deployed with 8 400 camera-days during the study period of the whole 2017. Among the independent camera photos, there were 393 for Leopard Cat, 682 for Asian Badger, and 797 for Hog Badger. Using the “activity” and “overlap” packages in R, the non-parametric kernel density approach was used to examine the activity patterns based on the collected data. Using the “CompareCkern” in R Studio and a 500-run round robin test, the overlap coefficients were determined. [Results] The results indicated that the annual activity pattern of the three animals changed with seasons in similar patterns and the highest activity peak happened in early autumn (Fig. 2). The overlap factor of the activity patterns between Leopard Cat and Asian Badger were high in spring and autumn (Δ = 0.747 5 in spring and Δ = 0.772 8 in autumn), while the activity peaks were different (Fig. 3). In spring, the activity peaks of the Leopard Cat appeared in 3:00﹣5:00 and 21:00﹣23:00, while the Asian Badger were more active in 23:00﹣1:00 and 16:00﹣18:00 that were earlier than the Leopard Cat. In autumn, the Leopard Cat had two peaks in 3:00﹣5:00 and 20:00﹣22:00, whereas the Asian Badger only had one peak in 21:00﹣23:00 (Fig. 3). The Leopard Cat and the Hog Badger had similar activity trends in spring and summer, on the contrary, the activity patterns were different in autumn and winter (Fig. 4). The activity patterns of Asian Badger and Hog Badger showed much different in spring, summer and autumn. The activity peak of Asian Badger appeared in 16:00﹣18:00 in spring, 15:00﹣17:00 in summer, and 21:00﹣23:00 in autumn while the Hog Badger was in relatively low activity during the same time periods (Fig. 5). [Conclusion] Through the differentiation in activity peaks, these three carnivore species produced a fine scale temporal separation and realized the co-existence of sympatric distribution. This study strengthens the understanding of the coexistence strategies of the three species which provides baseline information for conducting further studies on carnivore behavioral adaptation and planning habitat conservation measures.
2024, 59(4):520-526.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423153
Abstract:
[Objectives] Bird collision refers to the phenomenon that birds collide with artificial facilities, causing injury or death to them. With the development of urbanization, bird collisions with buildings are becoming increasingly common. We conducted a 3-year bird collisions survey on Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a two-story building with glass covering on both sides of the whole exterior walls, to clarify the main factors causing bird collisions with the building and to evaluate the effectiveness of the bird-collide prevention measures that had been taken to it. [Methods] Park workers patrolled the building once an hour every day and night and recorded the occurrence of bird collisions from October 2019 to November 2022. In October 2020, a bird collision prevention renovation was carried out on the glass wall on the concave side of the building, which is close to the green space, mainly by sticking dot shaped stickers (the diameter of the dot is 1 cm, with a distance of 6.5 cm between the dots from the top to the bottom, and a distance of 10 cm from the left to the right) on it to prevent bird collisions and applying animal shaped stickers for decoration purposes (Fig. 1). Meanwhile, no intervention was taken to the glass wall on the convex side of the building, which is surrounded by harden ground. [Results] A total of 19 bird collisions were recorded in the survey, mainly occurred on the concave side glass wall of the building (n = 15), including 14 bird species, of which 10 were resident birds and 9 were migratory birds, and 14 were recorded as deaths (Table 1). Also, there were more bird collision records (n = 10) during autumn migration season (September to November) and all bird collisions occurred on sunny days. Based on the results and correlational research, we preliminarily evaluate that bird collisions with the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center are mainly related to the large scale of glass exterior wall of the building, the canvas shape of it, the distance between glass walls and green area, weather, and seasons. In this case, efforts have been made to reduce the bird collisions caused by glass wall. The bird collision records decreased from 11 (including 8 deaths) in the year before the implementation of bird collision prevention renovation, to 2 per year in next two years after the renovation (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] The results demonstrate that the measure of sticking specific dot shaped stickers on glass walls, a low-cost and low environmental impact approach, can significantly reduce bird collisions on glass walls. Since there are relatively few practical cases of bird collision prevention in public buildings in China, hopefully this practical case can provide reference for those management units, government departments and others who are interested in carrying out the design and renovation of bird collision prevention in artificial facilities.
[Objectives] Bird collision refers to the phenomenon that birds collide with artificial facilities, causing injury or death to them. With the development of urbanization, bird collisions with buildings are becoming increasingly common. We conducted a 3-year bird collisions survey on Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a two-story building with glass covering on both sides of the whole exterior walls, to clarify the main factors causing bird collisions with the building and to evaluate the effectiveness of the bird-collide prevention measures that had been taken to it. [Methods] Park workers patrolled the building once an hour every day and night and recorded the occurrence of bird collisions from October 2019 to November 2022. In October 2020, a bird collision prevention renovation was carried out on the glass wall on the concave side of the building, which is close to the green space, mainly by sticking dot shaped stickers (the diameter of the dot is 1 cm, with a distance of 6.5 cm between the dots from the top to the bottom, and a distance of 10 cm from the left to the right) on it to prevent bird collisions and applying animal shaped stickers for decoration purposes (Fig. 1). Meanwhile, no intervention was taken to the glass wall on the convex side of the building, which is surrounded by harden ground. [Results] A total of 19 bird collisions were recorded in the survey, mainly occurred on the concave side glass wall of the building (n = 15), including 14 bird species, of which 10 were resident birds and 9 were migratory birds, and 14 were recorded as deaths (Table 1). Also, there were more bird collision records (n = 10) during autumn migration season (September to November) and all bird collisions occurred on sunny days. Based on the results and correlational research, we preliminarily evaluate that bird collisions with the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center are mainly related to the large scale of glass exterior wall of the building, the canvas shape of it, the distance between glass walls and green area, weather, and seasons. In this case, efforts have been made to reduce the bird collisions caused by glass wall. The bird collision records decreased from 11 (including 8 deaths) in the year before the implementation of bird collision prevention renovation, to 2 per year in next two years after the renovation (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] The results demonstrate that the measure of sticking specific dot shaped stickers on glass walls, a low-cost and low environmental impact approach, can significantly reduce bird collisions on glass walls. Since there are relatively few practical cases of bird collision prevention in public buildings in China, hopefully this practical case can provide reference for those management units, government departments and others who are interested in carrying out the design and renovation of bird collision prevention in artificial facilities.
ZHU Gao-Hong
,
HU Da-Zhi
,
MA Dui-Fang
,
ZHANG Jun-Tao
,
WANG Dong-Wu
,
ZHANG Guang-Wen
,
A Cheng
,
WANG Liang
,
MA Chen-Di
,
DAI Qiang
,
WANG Yi-Hong
2024, 59(4):493-504.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423186
Abstract:
[Objectives] The Snow Leopard Panthera uncia is one of the world’s rare and endangered species and is vital in maintaining alpine ecosystems’ structural and functional stability. In recent years, grazing and other disturbances have led to the fragmentation of the Snow Leopard’s habitat and threatening the population’s survival. In order to protect and recover this species, conducting habitat suitability evaluation and building ecological corridors that connect scattered patches of habitat are essential for safeguarding its long-term survival. [Methods] The study area of this research are the Qilian Mountain National Park (Gansu area) and its 15 km buffer zone. A predictive habitat distribution map of Snow Leopards was estimated using the MaxEnt model with a total of 64 occurrence locations (Fig. 1) which were collected by camera monitoring and survey between 2018 and 2020 and environmental factors. The distribution of potential habitat and its relationship with major environmental factors were analyzed with MaxEnt 3.4.1. The accuracy of the result produced by the model with area was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic, ROC (area under the curve, AUC). The importance and contribution of environmental factors to the model’s prediction were evaluated by the Jackknife test. Suitable habitat distribution was indicated by habitat suitability index (HSI). Ecological corridors for Snow Leopards were identified and planned using the least-cost path model (LCP). [Results] The results of the Jackknife test showed that three variables, roughness, mean temperature of driest quarter, and precipitation seasonality were the key factors influencing the distribution of Snow Leopards (Fig. 3), with a value of contribution of 45.936%, 17.078% and 11.519%, respectively (Table 1). The suitable habitat was positively correlated with the roughness, and the occurrence probability of Snow Leopards remained unchanged when the roughness exceeded about 200. The relationship between suitable habitat and mean temperature of driest quarter and precipitation seasonality were humped (Fig. 4). The suitable habitat area of Snow Leopards in the study area was 13 432.066 km2, and the suitable habitat distributed in the park was 7 086.195 km2, accounting for 52.756% of the total suitable habitat area (Fig. 5b). According to habitat suitability analysis and population distribution of Snow Leopard, 9 core habitat patches were identified and 10 potential ecological corridors for Snow Leopard migration were delineated. The longest corridor length was 18.725 km, and the average length was 5.676 km (Fig. 6). Three of these corridors connected suitable Snow Leopard habitat patches within the Gansu area, and five connected the habitat in the Qinghai area. [Conclusion] Based on the results mentioned above, we recommend that efforts should be undertaken to enhance the connectivity between suitable habitats for Snow Leopards. Concurrently, it is advised to collaborate with Qinghai Province to facilitate cross-border conservation initiatives and develop a more scientifically sound and rational plan for protection and management.
[Objectives] The Snow Leopard Panthera uncia is one of the world’s rare and endangered species and is vital in maintaining alpine ecosystems’ structural and functional stability. In recent years, grazing and other disturbances have led to the fragmentation of the Snow Leopard’s habitat and threatening the population’s survival. In order to protect and recover this species, conducting habitat suitability evaluation and building ecological corridors that connect scattered patches of habitat are essential for safeguarding its long-term survival. [Methods] The study area of this research are the Qilian Mountain National Park (Gansu area) and its 15 km buffer zone. A predictive habitat distribution map of Snow Leopards was estimated using the MaxEnt model with a total of 64 occurrence locations (Fig. 1) which were collected by camera monitoring and survey between 2018 and 2020 and environmental factors. The distribution of potential habitat and its relationship with major environmental factors were analyzed with MaxEnt 3.4.1. The accuracy of the result produced by the model with area was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic, ROC (area under the curve, AUC). The importance and contribution of environmental factors to the model’s prediction were evaluated by the Jackknife test. Suitable habitat distribution was indicated by habitat suitability index (HSI). Ecological corridors for Snow Leopards were identified and planned using the least-cost path model (LCP). [Results] The results of the Jackknife test showed that three variables, roughness, mean temperature of driest quarter, and precipitation seasonality were the key factors influencing the distribution of Snow Leopards (Fig. 3), with a value of contribution of 45.936%, 17.078% and 11.519%, respectively (Table 1). The suitable habitat was positively correlated with the roughness, and the occurrence probability of Snow Leopards remained unchanged when the roughness exceeded about 200. The relationship between suitable habitat and mean temperature of driest quarter and precipitation seasonality were humped (Fig. 4). The suitable habitat area of Snow Leopards in the study area was 13 432.066 km2, and the suitable habitat distributed in the park was 7 086.195 km2, accounting for 52.756% of the total suitable habitat area (Fig. 5b). According to habitat suitability analysis and population distribution of Snow Leopard, 9 core habitat patches were identified and 10 potential ecological corridors for Snow Leopard migration were delineated. The longest corridor length was 18.725 km, and the average length was 5.676 km (Fig. 6). Three of these corridors connected suitable Snow Leopard habitat patches within the Gansu area, and five connected the habitat in the Qinghai area. [Conclusion] Based on the results mentioned above, we recommend that efforts should be undertaken to enhance the connectivity between suitable habitats for Snow Leopards. Concurrently, it is advised to collaborate with Qinghai Province to facilitate cross-border conservation initiatives and develop a more scientifically sound and rational plan for protection and management.
5 The Influence of Sounds on Conspecific Habitat Selection and Egg-Laying Behaviour in Japanese Tits
2024, 59(4):514-519.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423182
Abstract:
[Objectives] Sound is one of the most important forms of communication for birds, serving as means of courtship, domain defense and threat information transmission, and so on. However, there are few reports on whether sounds could affect the reproductive decisions of birds as social information. [Methods] In this study, we chose Japanese Tits Parus minor in the Zuojia Nature Reserve of Jilin Province as the research object, using playback experiments with males’ courtship song and the conspecific alarm calls, we explored whether habitat selection and egg-laying behaviors of Japanese Tits breeders were affected by sound-based social information. The numbers of nests in the males’ courtship song playback plots, the conspecific alarm calls playback plots, and control plots were compared using the Chi-square test. Generalized linear mix model (GLMMs) was used to analyze the effects of playback of males’ courtship song and alarm calls on the egg-laying date and clutch size of Japanese Tits. [Results] The results showed that there was a significant increase in the number of breeding nests in the plots with playback of male’s courtship songs, while there was no difference between the numbers of nests in plots with alarm calls and control plots. But the sounds had no significant effect on the first egg laying date and the clutch size of the Japanese Tits (Fig. 1). [Conclusion] This study suggests that the conspecific songs can serve as social information for bird habitat selection, but their reproductive fitness may be influenced by other factors.
[Objectives] Sound is one of the most important forms of communication for birds, serving as means of courtship, domain defense and threat information transmission, and so on. However, there are few reports on whether sounds could affect the reproductive decisions of birds as social information. [Methods] In this study, we chose Japanese Tits Parus minor in the Zuojia Nature Reserve of Jilin Province as the research object, using playback experiments with males’ courtship song and the conspecific alarm calls, we explored whether habitat selection and egg-laying behaviors of Japanese Tits breeders were affected by sound-based
2024, 59(4):527-535.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423171
Abstract:
[Objectives] Dopasia harti is a threatened reptile mainly distributed in China, and is a national secondary key protected wild animal. So far, there is a lack of systematic studies on the resources and habitat preferences of the wild population of the D. harti. [Methods] This paper conducted a questionnaire survey of residents in Mt. Emei and the surrounding areas in 2020, and according to the results of the questionnaire, a field survey was conducted in spots where the D. harti have been found, and quadrats were set up to explore the habitat selection of D. harti in 2023. The results of the questionnaire and the proportion of each habitat factors in the field survey were statistically analyzed, and the habitat factors were analyzed using principal component analysis. [Results] The results showed that:due to habitat changes and human capture, the population of D. harti in Mt. Emei and its surrounding areas has generally declined (Table 1). The distribution of D. harti has been retreated to Gaoqiao Town, Suishan Town, Longchi Town, Huangwan Town in Emeishan City, Huatou Town in Jiajiang County, and Liujiang Town in Hongya County, Meishan City. In Mt. Emei area, the D. harti preferred to live in the evergreen broad-leaved forest of loose soil in the middle and low altitude areas (mainly 800﹣1 200 m), semi-shady and semi-sunny slope, more than 50 m from water source and more than 6 cm from herbaceous height, and the vegetation coverage rate was 10%﹣75% (Table 3). [Conclusion] According to the survey, most of the disturbance factors are road construction and planting. For the protection of D. harti, road construction should be optimized to avoid destroying the habitats of D. harti. We should also promote the cultivation of eco-friendly products and natural eco-tourism to increase the income of local people; and strengthen the popular science education of the surrounding people and improve people’s awareness of protection.
[Objectives] Dopasia harti is a threatened reptile mainly distributed in China, and is a national secondary key protected wild animal. So far, there is a lack of systematic studies on the resources and habitat preferences of the wild population of the D. harti. [Methods] This paper conducted a questionnaire survey of residents in Mt. Emei and the surrounding areas in 2020, and according to the results of the questionnaire, a field survey was conducted in spots where the D. harti have been found, and quadrats were set up to explore the habitat selection of D. harti in 2023. The results of the questionnaire and the proportion of each habitat factors in the field survey were statistically analyzed, and the habitat factors were analyzed using principal component analysis. [Results] The results showed that:due to habitat changes and human capture, the population of D. harti in Mt. Emei and its surrounding areas has generally declined (Table 1). The distribution of D. harti has been retreated to Gaoqiao Town, Suishan Town, Longchi Town, Huangwan Town in Emeishan City, Huatou Town in Jiajiang County, and Liujiang Town in Hongya County, Meishan City. In Mt. Emei area, the D. harti preferred to live in the evergreen broad-leaved forest of loose soil in the middle and low altitude areas (mainly 800﹣1 200 m), semi-shady and semi-sunny slope, more than 50 m from water source and more than 6 cm from herbaceous height, and the vegetation coverage rate was 10%﹣75% (Table 3). [Conclusion] According to the survey, most of the disturbance factors are road construction and planting. For the protection of D. harti, road construction should be optimized to avoid destroying the habitats of D. harti. We should also promote the cultivation of eco-friendly products and natural eco-tourism to increase the income of local people; and strengthen the popular science education of the surrounding people and improve people’s awareness of protection.
QU Yuan- Yuan
,
YANG Bo
,
HUAN Zong-Jin
,
LAI Yan-Wu
,
HUANG He-Yuan
,
ZOU Wen-Yong
,
CHEN Rui
,
TONG Jian-Hua
,
LI Ti
,
LING Shan-Shan
,
ZHAO Bo
,
HUANG Yan
2024, 59(4):536-544.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423190
Abstract:
[Objectives] Menstrual cycle monitoring is an effective method for the breeding management in ex-situ conservation of non-human primates. Based on analyses of fecal sex steroid hormone of a female Yellow-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae, the duration and regularity of its menstrual cycles were determined, and attempts to assess whether females have reproductive disorders from a reproductive endocrine perspective were made. Androgens were used as indicators to explore whether males have reproductive physiological disorders. The study helps to provide data support for the natural breeding of captive Yellow-cheeked Gibbons and the application of artificial assisted reproduction technology in the future. [Methods] From April 2016 to April 2017, fecal samples from a pair of Yellow-cheeked Gibbon were collected every 1﹣3 d non-invasively. These samples were further analyzed for estrone-3- glucuronide (E1G), progesterone (P4) and testosterone (TEST) levels by ELISA. The coefficient of variation CV for hormone determinations was < 5% within batches and < 10% between batches. The data were sorted by Excel and analyzed by SPSS 22.0 with normal distribution and homogeneity of variance test. One-way ANOVA was used for significance analysis for sampling that conformed to normal distribution, nonparametric tests Mann-Whitney U test was used for those that did not conform to normal distribution. The correlation between female estrogen and male testosterone was analyzed using the Pearson’s method of analysis (two-tailed test). The significance level was set at 0.05. [Results] Estrogens and progesterones were synchronized during menstrual cycles (Fig. 1). More precisely, at the start of oestrum, estrogen level began to increase from a baseline, after reaching the first peak, dropped dramatically, and followed by ovulation, which signifying the end of the follicular phase. Progesterones remained at a base level during the follicular phase. After ovulation, both progesterones and estrogens shared an ascending pattern, and then decreased to base levels after reaching the peak values simultaneously. A total of 11 complete menstrual cycles of the female “Vivi” were found during the study period (Fig. 2), and the average length of menstrual cycles was 23.3 ± 3.1 d (21﹣31 d) (Table 1), which was not significantly different from that of the menstrual cycles based on the estrogen (E1G) bimodal interval (21.3 ± 3.8) d (Z =﹣1.562, P = 0.133), nor from that of the progesterone (P4) pattern 20.9 ± 2.2 d (Z =﹣1.693, P = 0.101). The length of the follicular phase in females was 7.9 ± 2.4 d, and the luteal phase was 13.4 ± 2.8 d. TEST levels in male feces did not show significant cyclic variation (Fig. 3). The correlation between male (TEST) and female (E1G) during the first 10 menstrual cycles was analyzed, and there was no correlation between these two parameters (r = 0.139, P = 0.097). [Conclusion] The results showed that the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon had a similar menstrual cycle to other primates, and the menstrual cycle of this female individual was relatively obvious and regular. Based on the changing pattern of estrogen during the follicular phase, it is possible to prejudge the climax of estrus in females and guide the mating of Yellow-cheeked Gibbons. It is also possible to make a preliminary diagnosis of whether a female is pregnant or not based on the level of progesterone during the luteal phase. The sex hormone index of menstrual regularity can be an aid in the diagnosis of infertility in the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon and even in other primates.
[Objectives] Menstrual cycle monitoring is an effective method for the breeding management in ex-situ conservation of non-human primates. Based on analyses of fecal sex steroid hormone of a female Yellow-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae, the duration and regularity of its menstrual cycles were determined, and attempts to assess whether females have reproductive disorders from a reproductive endocrine perspective were made. Androgens were used as indicators to explore whether males have reproductive physiological disorders. The study helps to provide data support for the natural breeding of captive Yellow-cheeked Gibbons and the application of artificial assisted reproduction technology in the future. [Methods] From April 2016 to April 2017, fecal samples from a pair of Yellow-cheeked Gibbon were collected every 1﹣3 d non-invasively. These samples were further analyzed for estrone-3- glucuronide (E1G), progesterone (P4) and testosterone (TEST) levels by ELISA. The coefficient of variation CV for hormone determinations was < 5% within batches and < 10% between batches. The data were sorted by Excel and analyzed by SPSS 22.0 with normal distribution and homogeneity of variance test. One-way ANOVA was used for significance analysis for sampling that conformed to normal distribution, nonparametric tests Mann-Whitney U test was used for those that did not conform to normal distribution. The correlation between female estrogen and male testosterone was analyzed using the Pearson’s method of analysis (two-tailed test). The significance level was set at 0.05. [Results] Estrogens and progesterones were synchronized during menstrual cycles (Fig. 1). More precisely, at the start of oestrum, estrogen level began to increase from a baseline, after reaching the first peak, dropped dramatically, and followed by ovulation, which signifying the end of the follicular phase. Progesterones remained at a base level during the follicular phase. After ovulation, both progesterones and estrogens shared an ascending pattern, and then decreased to base levels after reaching the peak values simultaneously. A total of 11 complete menstrual cycles of the female “Vivi” were found during the study period (Fig. 2), and the average length of menstrual cycles was 23.3 ± 3.1 d (21﹣31 d) (Table 1), which was not significantly different from that of the menstrual cycles based on the estrogen (E1G) bimodal interval (21.3 ± 3.8) d (Z =﹣1.562, P = 0.133), nor from that of the progesterone (P4) pattern 20.9 ± 2.2 d (Z =﹣1.693, P = 0.101). The length of the follicular phase in females was 7.9 ± 2.4 d, and the luteal phase was 13.4 ± 2.8 d. TEST levels in male feces did not show significant cyclic variation (Fig. 3). The correlation between male (TEST) and female (E1G) during the first 10 menstrual cycles was analyzed, and there was no correlation between these two parameters (r = 0.139, P = 0.097). [Conclusion] The results showed that the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon had a similar menstrual cycle to other primates, and the menstrual cycle of this female individual was relatively obvious and regular. Based on the changing pattern of estrogen during the follicular phase, it is possible to prejudge the climax of estrus in females and guide the mating of Yellow-cheeked Gibbons. It is also possible to make a preliminary diagnosis of whether a female is pregnant or not based on the level of progesterone during the luteal phase. The sex hormone index of menstrual regularity can be an aid in the diagnosis of infertility in the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon and even in other primates.
2024, 59(4):545-561.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423146
Abstract:
[Objectives] Pulmonary surfactant (PS) can help to maintain the structure of alveoli, improve respiration and oxygen absorption and utilization. Notably, phosphatidylcholine (PC) serves as the principal constituent of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. In order to shed lights into the adaptation mechanism of plateau animals to hypoxic environments, this study focuses on the endemic species of Plateau Zokor Eospalax baileyi and Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. [Methods] The sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt genes were analyzed by MEGA 7.0, PAML 4.8 program and Ancestor program. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of these genes were determined with Real-time PCR in the lung tissues and compared with those in the SD Rat Rattus norvegicus. [Results] The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt in E. baileyi were highly homologous with those of Nannospalax galili, as well as the O. curzoniae has the highest level of homology with O. princeps (> 90%) (Table 2). Cpt of E. baileyi and N. galili, Chok-β, Pcyt-β and Cpt of O. curzoniae and O. princeps occurred convergent sites. Selection pressure analyses showed that lysine at sites 4, phenylalanine at sites 5 and glutamic acid at sites 10 of Chok-α subunit in Plateau Zokor were significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3); methionine at sites 4 of Chok-β subunit in Plateau Pika, glutamic acid at sites 163 of Cpt subunit in Plateau Zokor were also significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3). SIFT test showed that No. 212 variation sites of Chok-β subunit and No.18 variation sites of Pcyt-β subunit in Plateau Pika had significant effects on gene function (P < 0.05, Table 4). The mRNA expression levels of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α and Pcyt-β in Plateau Zokor were significantly higher than those in Plateau Pika and SD Rat (P < 0.01), and the mRNA expression level of Chok-β in Plateau Pika was higher than SD Rat (P < 0.05) (Fig. 6). The expression level of Cpt in SD Rat was significantly higher than that in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between expression levels in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P > 0.05) (Fig. 6). [Conclusion] The above results demonstrate that, in comparison to SD Rat, the amino acid structure and gene expression variations of key enzyme genes in phosphatidylcholine pathway of Plateau Zokor and Plateau Pika, along with two plateau animal physiological adaptation make them more conducive to acquire and employ oxygen in the unique environment of high cold and hypoxic environment. Consequently, this reinforces respiration, enhances energy metabolism, and facilitates adaption to low oxygen environments.
[Objectives] Pulmonary surfactant (PS) can help to maintain the structure of alveoli, improve respiration and oxygen absorption and utilization. Notably, phosphatidylcholine (PC) serves as the principal constituent of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. In order to shed lights into the adaptation mechanism of plateau animals to hypoxic environments, this study focuses on the endemic species of Plateau Zokor Eospalax baileyi and Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. [Methods] The sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt genes were analyzed by MEGA 7.0, PAML 4.8 program and Ancestor program. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of these genes were determined with Real-time PCR in the lung tissues and compared with those in the SD Rat Rattus norvegicus. [Results] The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt in E. baileyi were highly homologous with those of Nannospalax galili, as well as the O. curzoniae has the highest level of homology with O. princeps (> 90%) (Table 2). Cpt of E. baileyi and N. galili, Chok-β, Pcyt-β and Cpt of O. curzoniae and O. princeps occurred convergent sites. Selection pressure analyses showed that lysine at sites 4, phenylalanine at sites 5 and glutamic acid at sites 10 of Chok-α subunit in Plateau Zokor were significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3); methionine at sites 4 of Chok-β subunit in Plateau Pika, glutamic acid at sites 163 of Cpt subunit in Plateau Zokor were also significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3). SIFT test showed that No. 212 variation sites of Chok-β subunit and No.18 variation sites of Pcyt-β subunit in Plateau Pika had significant effects on gene function (P < 0.05, Table 4). The mRNA expression levels of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α and Pcyt-β in Plateau Zokor were significantly higher than those in Plateau Pika and SD Rat (P < 0.01), and the mRNA expression level of Chok-β in Plateau Pika was higher than SD Rat (P < 0.05) (Fig. 6). The expression level of Cpt in SD Rat was significantly higher than that in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between expression levels in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P > 0.05) (Fig. 6). [Conclusion] The above results demonstrate that, in comparison to SD Rat, the amino acid structure and gene expression variations of key enzyme genes in phosphatidylcholine pathway of Plateau Zokor and Plateau Pika, along with two plateau animal physiological adaptation make them more conducive to acquire and employ oxygen in the unique environment of high cold and hypoxic environment. Consequently, this reinforces respiration, enhances energy metabolism, and facilitates adaption to low oxygen environments.
2013, 48(6):852-858.
Abstract:
Based on the field investigational data of Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in Heilongjiang Province, we construct the investigate and management Informational system of Amur Tiger in Heilongjiang Province with the combination of the technology of geographic information system, computer technology and the technology of investigation and management about wild animal resources. This system is mainly built by Object-oriented programming language C SHARP, ArcGIS Engine embedded component technology and SQL Server database technology and achieve the graphical and visualized management of Amur Tiger's data in Heilongjiang Province. At the same time, this system is able to provide information on the population quantity the spatial variation timely and accurately by analyzing the spatial survey resources and combining natural factors and human factors in the study area as will as to produce information classification of thematic map and the corresponding field distribution statistical chart according to the analysis results. The system is helpful for the user to manage the survey data and information about wild tiger population and their habitat. It can play an important roll in promoting in situ conservation of wild tiger population and their habitat in China.
Based on the field investigational data of Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in Heilongjiang Province, we construct the investigate and management Informational system of Amur Tiger in Heilongjiang Province with the combination of the technology of geographic information system, computer technology and the technology of investigation and management about wild animal resources. This system is mainly built by Object-oriented programming language C SHARP, ArcGIS Engine embedded component technology and SQL Server database technology and achieve the graphical and visualized management of Amur Tiger's data in Heilongjiang Province. At the same time, this system is able to provide information on the population quantity the spatial variation timely and accurately by analyzing the spatial survey resources and combining natural factors and human factors in the study area as will as to produce information classification of thematic map and the corresponding field distribution statistical chart according to the analysis results. The system is helpful for the user to manage the survey data and information about wild tiger population and their habitat. It can play an important roll in promoting in situ conservation of wild tiger population and their habitat in China.
2024, 59(3):349-357.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423142
Abstract:
[Objectives] The Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus is listed as a national second-class protected animal in China. It is a small raptor that can adapt to both rural and urban environments, and it is of great significance to maintain the stability of urban ecosystem. [Methods] From April to July, 2022, seven Common Kestrels rescued in Beijing were successfully fitted with satellite trackers, and their trajectories were tracked. Based on the tracking data, the migration patterns of each Common Kestrel were identified by using the net squared displacement (NSD)-time curve. The specific migration time, distance and route of migrating Common Kestrel were further analyzed. In addition, 95% and 50% home ranges of migrating and resident Common Kestrels were calculated respectively by using the kernel density estimation (KDE) in the software R 4.1.0. [Results] We found the migration pattern of Common Kestrels in Beijing was partial migration. Among the 7 ind tracked, 4 ind were resident, 1 ind was migratory, and 2 ind could not be determined. The migrating Common Kestrel (N01) migrated from winter habitats in Langfang, Hebei to summer habitats in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, in spring (Fig. 2). Its spring migration distance was 551 km, which lasted for 25 d, with an average speed of 22 km/d, and its autumn migration speed was significantly faster than that in spring, with a total migration distance of 412 km, which lasted for 2 d, with an average migration speed of 203 km/d. Luanping County in Hebei was an important migration stopover during spring migration. The kernel density estimation revealed that there were obvious differences in 95% and 50% home ranges among individuals. In summer habitats, home ranges of the migrating Common Kestrel (N01) were 93.10 km2 (95%) and 17.50 km2 (50%), while in winter habitats, those were 7.03 km2 (95%) and 0.99 km2 (50%). The average home ranges of the resident Common Kestrels were 1 165.34 km2 (95%, n = 4) and 178.71 km2 (50%, n = 4). N02 had the largest home ranges, with an area of 4 320.26 km2 (95%) and 648.22 km2 (50%), while N03 had the smallest home ranges, with an area of 2.80 km2 (95%) and 0.29 km2 (50%, Table 2). [Conclusion] The research reveals migratory behaviors, routes, important migration stopover and home ranges of Common Kestrel in Beijing, which provides scientific basis for the targeted protection and management of the Common Kestrel.
[Objectives] The Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus is listed as a national second-class protected animal in China. It is a small raptor that can adapt to both rural and urban environments, and it is of great significance to maintain the stability of urban ecosystem. [Methods] From April to July, 2022, seven Common Kestrels rescued in Beijing were successfully fitted with satellite trackers, and their trajectories were tracked. Based on the tracking data, the migration patterns of each Common Kestrel were identified by using the net squared displacement (NSD)-time curve. The specific migration time, distance and route of migrating Common Kestrel were further analyzed. In addition, 95% and 50% home ranges of migrating and resident Common Kestrels were calculated respectively by using the kernel density estimation (KDE) in the software R 4.1.0. [Results] We found the migration pattern of Common Kestrels in Beijing was partial migration. Among the 7 ind tracked, 4 ind were resident, 1 ind was migratory, and 2 ind could not be determined. The migrating Common Kestrel (N01) migrated from winter habitats in Langfang, Hebei to summer habitats in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, in spring (Fig. 2). Its spring migration distance was 551 km, which lasted for 25 d, with an average speed of 22 km/d, and its autumn migration speed was significantly faster than that in spring, with a total migration distance of 412 km, which lasted for 2 d, with an average migration speed of 203 km/d. Luanping County in Hebei was an important migration stopover during spring migration. The kernel density estimation revealed that there were obvious differences in 95% and 50% home ranges among individuals. In summer habitats, home ranges of the migrating Common Kestrel (N01) were 93.10 km2 (95%) and 17.50 km2 (50%), while in winter habitats, those were 7.03 km2 (95%) and 0.99 km2 (50%). The average home ranges of the resident Common Kestrels were 1 165.34 km2 (95%, n = 4) and 178.71 km2 (50%, n = 4). N02 had the largest home ranges, with an area of 4 320.26 km2 (95%) and 648.22 km2 (50%), while N03 had the smallest home ranges, with an area of 2.80 km2 (95%) and 0.29 km2 (50%, Table 2). [Conclusion] The research reveals migratory behaviors, routes, important migration stopover and home ranges of Common Kestrel in Beijing, which provides scientific basis for the targeted protection and management of the Common Kestrel.
2024, 59(3):321-336.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423108
Abstract:
[Objectives] As one of the major groups of vertebrates, the evolutionary relationship of birds has been one of the main focuses of ornithological research. Morphological and molecular characters have been widely used to infer phylogenetic relationships in birds, but morphological characters have long been limited by homoplasy, making it difficult to draw consistent conclusions about phylogenetic relationships. However, benefiting from the molecular data and sophisticated analysis methods, we have gradually reached a consensus on the phylogenetic relationships of birds in recent years. On this basis, it is necessary to re-explore the research value of the neglected morphological data. Therefore, we aim to investigative whether there is a significant difference in the level of homoplasy of different kinds of morphological characters. We proceed to exploring the role of morphological characters with a low level of homoplasy in improving the phylogenetic signals of the molecular data and the level of support on the molecular tree. [Methods] Based on a reliable molecular phylogenetic tree by Prum published in 2015 (Prum tree) and an avian morphological dataset by Livezey & Zusi published in 2006 (Livezey & Zusi morphological data), we mapped the Livezey & Zusi morphological data to the Prum tree using PAUP* 4.0a and calculated the score for the level of homoplasy. We performed the Mann-Whitney U test to explore whether morphological characters are significantly different in their levels of homoplasy. Additionally, we performed a principal component analysis to determine if there was an interconnection between the morphological characters of homoplasy. Lastly, we added the filtered low homoplasy level morphological characters (specifically those with a CI ≥ 0.5 when mapped to the Prum tree) to Hackett’s molecular data. Then we rebuilt the tree using the maximum parsimony method and mapped the character (molecular or morphological character) to the tree (molecular or combined tree). After we got homoplasy outcomes of the mapping above, we performed the Mann-Whitney U test to compare the homoplasy outcomes. Meanwhile, we compared the bootstrap scores for each branch of the two trees (molecular and combined tree) to determine whether the inclusion of morphological data would have an impact on the level of support. [Results] We found different levels of homoplasy in morphological characters, as indicated by the consistency index of the miscellaneous characters scored significantly larger than those of osteological and myological characters (P < 0.01, Table 2), and that of cranial characters was significantly larger than those of the postcranial, body and leg characters (P < 0.05, Table 2). Nevertheless, the principal component analysis indicated that morphological characters are not easily distinguishable from each other. Additionally, adding morphological characters with low levels of homoplasy significantly increased the phylogenetic signals of the molecular data (P < 0.05, Appendix 3) and increased the level of support on branch of the molecular tree. [Conclusion] In summary, morphological characters show different levels of homoplasy, and certain groups of morphological characters can increase the phylogenetic signal of the molecular characters.
[Objectives] As one of the major groups of vertebrates, the evolutionary relationship of birds has been one of the main focuses of ornithological research. Morphological and molecular characters have been widely used to infer phylogenetic relationships in birds, but morphological characters have long been limited by homoplasy, making it difficult to draw consistent conclusions about phylogenetic relationships. However, benefiting from the molecular data and sophisticated analysis methods, we have gradually reached a consensus on the phylogenetic relationships of birds in recent years. On this basis, it is necessary to re-explore the research value of the neglected morphological data. Therefore, we aim to investigative whether there is a significant difference in the level of homoplasy of different kinds of morphological characters. We proceed to exploring the role of morphological characters with a low level of homoplasy in improving the phylogenetic signals of the molecular data and the level of support on the molecular tree. [Methods] Based on a reliable molecular phylogenetic tree by Prum published in 2015 (Prum tree) and an avian morphological dataset by Livezey & Zusi published in 2006 (Livezey & Zusi morphological data), we mapped the Livezey & Zusi morphological data to the Prum tree using PAUP* 4.0a and calculated the score for the level of homoplasy. We performed the Mann-Whitney U test to explore whether morphological characters are significantly different in their levels of homoplasy. Additionally, we performed a principal component analysis to determine if there was an interconnection between the morphological characters of homoplasy. Lastly, we added the filtered low homoplasy level morphological characters (specifically those with a CI ≥ 0.5 when mapped to the Prum tree) to Hackett’s molecular data. Then we rebuilt the tree using the maximum parsimony method and mapped the character (molecular or morphological character) to the tree (molecular or combined tree). After we got homoplasy outcomes of the mapping above, we performed the Mann-Whitney U test to compare the homoplasy outcomes. Meanwhile, we compared the bootstrap scores for each branch of the two trees (molecular and combined tree) to determine whether the inclusion of morphological data would have an impact on the level of support. [Results] We found different levels of homoplasy in morphological characters, as indicated by the consistency index of the miscellaneous characters scored significantly larger than those of osteological and myological characters (P < 0.01, Table 2), and that of cranial characters was significantly larger than those of the postcranial, body and leg characters (P < 0.05, Table 2). Nevertheless, the principal component analysis indicated that morphological characters are not easily distinguishable from each other. Additionally, adding morphological characters with low levels of homoplasy significantly increased the phylogenetic signals of the molecular data (P < 0.05, Appendix 3) and increased the level of support on branch of the molecular tree. [Conclusion] In summary, morphological characters show different levels of homoplasy, and certain groups of morphological characters can increase the phylogenetic signal of the molecular characters.
2024, 59(3):337-348.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423120
Abstract:
[Objectives] Urban green spaces are vital components of the urban landscape and hold significant ecological and cultural values. Studying the impact of human activities on bird diversity can provide a theoretical basis for constructing and maintaining ecological urban landscapes. [Methods] This study used the transect method to investigate bird communities in 8 urban green spaces with 3 disturbance levels in Wuhan, China from October 2021 to May 2022. The bird community structure was analyzed using diversity parameters, including species richness, diversity index, evenness index, and dominance index. Differences were assessed using one-way ANOVA. [Results] A total of 100 bird species in 11 orders and 34 families were recorded, including 9 nationally protected birds species at the II-level (Appendix 1). Passerines comprised the majority (76 species, 76% of the total bird species surveyed) of the recorded species, with the most important fauna and resident type were oriental birds (45 species, 45%) and resident birds (42 species, 42%), respectively. During the breeding season, the number of bird species is higher than that during the non-breeding season, primarily due to an increase in summer visitors and passage migrant. Among the bird communities in green spaces with varying disturbance intensities, the highest species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and uniformity index were observed in mildly disturbed areas, while the species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, and uniformity index are the lowest in areas with moderate interference (Fig. 1). The dominance index was highest in highly disturbed areas, and lowest in mildly disturbed areas (Fig. 1). During different seasons, there are differences in bird diversity and community structure, but seasons do not affect the pattern of bird communities across different levels of human disturbance. [Conclusion] In summary, the bird diversity of urban green spaces in Wuhan is relatively rich, and there was a nonlinear relationship with disturbance intensity, indicating that the difference between human disturbance and natural disturbance in small and fragmented patches may be more conducive to maintaining biodiversity.
[Objectives] Urban green spaces are vital components of the urban landscape and hold significant ecological and cultural values. Studying the impact of human activities on bird diversity can provide a theoretical basis for constructing and maintaining ecological urban landscapes. [Methods] This study used the transect method to investigate bird communities in 8 urban green spaces with 3 disturbance levels in Wuhan, China from October 2021 to May 2022. The bird community structure was analyzed using diversity parameters, including species richness, diversity index, evenness index, and dominance index. Differences were assessed using one-way ANOVA. [Results] A total of 100 bird species in 11 orders and 34 families were recorded, including 9 nationally protected birds species at the II-level (Appendix 1). Passerines comprised the majority (76 species, 76% of the total bird species surveyed) of the recorded species, with the most important fauna and resident type were oriental birds (45 species, 45%) and resident birds (42 species, 42%), respectively. During the breeding season, the number of bird species is higher than that during the non-breeding season, primarily due to an increase in summer visitors and passage migrant. Among the bird communities in green spaces with varying disturbance intensities, the highest species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and uniformity index were observed in mildly disturbed areas, while the species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, and uniformity index are the lowest in areas with moderate interference (Fig. 1). The dominance index was highest in highly disturbed areas, and lowest in mildly disturbed areas (Fig. 1). During different seasons, there are differences in bird diversity and community structure, but seasons do not affect the pattern of bird communities across different levels of human disturbance. [Conclusion] In summary, the bird diversity of urban green spaces in Wuhan is relatively rich, and there was a nonlinear relationship with disturbance intensity, indicating that the difference between human disturbance and natural disturbance in small and fragmented patches may be more conducive to maintaining biodiversity.
2024, 59(3):418-428.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423083
Abstract:
During the fieldwork in November 2022, we collected 10 specimens of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata:Gekkonidae) in Qingyuan, Zhejiang Province, China, and identified them as H. hongkongensis by morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses. This is the first record of Hemiphyllodactylus in Zhejiang Province. In this study, the morphological characteristics of our specimens were compared with the type specimens of H. hongkongensis. Using mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences, we performed Bayesian phylogenic analyses in MrBayes 3.1.2 and calculated the uncorrected genetic distances within Hemiphyllodactylus in MEGA 7. All the new sequences in this study have been deposited in GenBank, and the other sequences used were retrieved from GenBank (Appendix 1). The morphological characteristics of the specimens collected in this study were consistent with those of the type specimens of H. hongkongensis:small body size (snout-vent length, SVL 44.44 ± 3.89 mm in adult females, n = 6; SVL 44.74 ± 2.97 mm in adult males, n = 4); the unique combination of 5 or 6 chin scales; a manual lamellar formula of 3(4)-4-4-4; a pedal lamellar formula of 3(4)-4(5)-4(5)-4(5); 24 or 25 continuous femoral and precloacal pores; 13﹣15 dorsal scales contained in diameter of eye; and 9 or 10 ventral scales contained in diameter of eye. In addition, Bayesian phylogenetic analyses recovered a well-supported clade consisting of our specimens and the type specimen of H. hongkongensis from Hong Kong, China (Fig. 3). According to ND2, the uncorrected genetic distance between our specimens and the type specimen of H. hongkongensis was 1.6%﹣1.7% (Appendix 2). In summary, the specimens collected in Qingyuan, Zhejiang Province were determined to be H. hongkongensis, which was the first record in Zhejiang Province. We further updated the elevation-range of H. hongkongensis, which is 550 m higher than the previous record.
During the fieldwork in November 2022, we collected 10 specimens of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata:Gekkonidae) in Qingyuan, Zhejiang Province, China, and identified them as H. hongkongensis by morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses. This is the first record of Hemiphyllodactylus in Zhejiang Province. In this study, the morphological characteristics of our specimens were compared with the type specimens of H. hongkongensis. Using mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences, we performed Bayesian phylogenic analyses in MrBayes 3.1.2 and calculated the uncorrected genetic distances within Hemiphyllodactylus in MEGA 7. All the new sequences in this study have been deposited in GenBank, and the other sequences used were retrieved from GenBank (Appendix 1). The morphological characteristics of the specimens collected in this study were consistent with those of the type specimens of H. hongkongensis:small body size (snout-vent length, SVL 44.44 ± 3.89 mm in adult females, n = 6; SVL 44.74 ± 2.97 mm in adult males, n = 4); the unique combination of 5 or 6 chin scales; a manual lamellar formula of 3(4)-4-4-4; a pedal lamellar formula of 3(4)-4(5)-4(5)-4(5); 24 or 25 continuous femoral and precloacal pores; 13﹣15 dorsal scales contained in diameter of eye; and 9 or 10 ventral scales contained in diameter of eye. In addition, Bayesian phylogenetic analyses recovered a well-supported clade consisting of our specimens and the type specimen of H. hongkongensis from Hong Kong, China (Fig. 3). According to ND2, the uncorrected genetic distance between our specimens and the type specimen of H. hongkongensis was 1.6%﹣1.7% (Appendix 2). In summary, the specimens collected in Qingyuan, Zhejiang Province were determined to be H. hongkongensis, which was the first record in Zhejiang Province. We further updated the elevation-range of H. hongkongensis, which is 550 m higher than the previous record.
2024, 59(3):397-407.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423079
Abstract:
[Objectives] Metaphire is one of the dominant genera of earthworm family Megascolecidae and is widely distributed in eastern and southern China. However, there are relatively few new species reports of this genus in recent years. [Methods] Morphological taxonomy methods and DNA barcode technology were used to identify the new species. Genetic distance between species were calculated using the Bootstrap and p-distance methods. [Results] Herein, three new species of earthworms belonging to the genus Metaphire (Oligochaeta:Megascolecidae) from China were described. They are named M. xiangtoumontis Dong & Jiang sp. nov., M. hanbaiduensis Dong & Sun sp. nov. and M. changbaimontis Dong & Shen sp. nov. (Fig. 1﹣3). M. xiangtoumontis belongs to the M. insulana-group, it has two pairs of spermathecae in 7/8﹣8/9. M. hanbaiduensis belongs to the M.houlleti-group, it has three pairs of spermathecae in 6/7﹣8/9. M. changbaimontis belongs to the M.glandularis-group, and it has two pairs of spermathecae in 6/7﹣7/8. Morphological descriptions, pictures, morphological comparisons with similar species, and COI barcode data for all the new species were provided. Additionally, sequences of the other species that are closely related to the new species were retrieved from GenBank (Table 1). The pairwise distances between each new species and the other related species are greater than the interspecies genetic distance (usually less than 1 %) and meets the range of intraspecies genetic distance (8.3%﹣13.0%, and above), so they have at least species level genetic difference (Table 2). [Conclusion] In summary, based on different morphological characters combined with the genetic evidence, we could conclude that the three new species are different from the previously described species and from each other. In addition, M. changbaimontis was the first new specie record of the earthworm genus Metaphire that collected in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve.
[Objectives] Metaphire is one of the dominant genera of earthworm family Megascolecidae and is widely distributed in eastern and southern China. However, there are relatively few new species reports of this genus in recent years. [Methods] Morphological taxonomy methods and DNA barcode technology were used to identify the new species. Genetic distance between species were calculated using the Bootstrap and p-distance methods. [Results] Herein, three new species of earthworms belonging to the genus Metaphire (Oligochaeta:Megascolecidae) from China were described. They are named M. xiangtoumontis Dong & Jiang sp. nov., M. hanbaiduensis Dong & Sun sp. nov. and M. changbaimontis Dong & Shen sp. nov. (Fig. 1﹣3). M. xiangtoumontis belongs to the M. insulana-group, it has two pairs of spermathecae in 7/8﹣8/9. M. hanbaiduensis belongs to the M.houlleti-group, it has three pairs of spermathecae in 6/7﹣8/9. M. changbaimontis belongs to the M.glandularis-group, and it has two pairs of spermathecae in 6/7﹣7/8. Morphological descriptions, pictures, morphological comparisons with similar species, and COI barcode data for all the new species were provided. Additionally, sequences of the other species that are closely related to the new species were retrieved from GenBank (Table 1). The pairwise distances between each new species and the other related species are greater than the interspecies genetic distance (usually less than 1 %) and meets the range of intraspecies genetic distance (8.3%﹣13.0%, and above), so they have at least species level genetic difference (Table 2). [Conclusion] In summary, based on different morphological characters combined with the genetic evidence, we could conclude that the three new species are different from the previously described species and from each other. In addition, M. changbaimontis was the first new specie record of the earthworm genus Metaphire that collected in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve.
2024, 59(3):358-368.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.2024023131
Abstract:
[Objectives] Acoustic signals play a crucial role in transmitting information and maintaining social stability in animals, especially in gregarious bats which are considered to occupy the ecological niche of the night sky and rely primarily on biological sonar for navigating in the dark. Acoustic signals mediate a variety of life history events in nocturnal bats, including reproduction, foraging, communication and spatial navigation. The parturition is a crucial part of animal reproductive activity, directly determining the survival of offspring and their female parent. There has been little research on the parturition behavior of wild animals, particularly the vocalizations during parturition. In the present study, we aim to document the social vocal repertoire of Rhinolophus luctus and R. affinis during parturition. [Methods] We caught the pregnant bats with mist net or hand net from a nursery colony in Nanyang, Henan Province. All bats were taken into a temporary laboratory near the roost, and then were given mealworms and water. Vocalizations were picked up with the ultrasonic acquisition system using a sample rate of 250 kHz at 16 bits/sample. The pregnant bat’s behavior was monitored via an infrared camera. We measured 8 spectro-temporal parameters from the oscillogram and spectrogram to quantify syllable features (Table 1 and 2). Then multiple statistical analyses were conducted to map the acoustic boundaries of different syllables. [Results] A total of 89 syllables were obtained, among which 6 and 4 types were distinguished from the Woolly Horseshoe Bat and the Intermediate Horseshoe Bat, respectively (Fig. 1). The cumulative sum of the two largest eigenvalues (corresponding to the ?rst two principal components) obtained from the principal components analysis explained 71.36% of the total variation (Table 3). Based on the results of the discriminant function analyses associated with a subset-validation procedure, 40.5% of syllable types were correctly classified, which was significantly higher than expected by chance (Fig. 2a). Multidimensional scaling of mean values of multiple parameters further confirmed notable differences among these syllables in a three-dimensional space (Fig. 2b). In addition, Euclidean distance analysis showed that there were more significant differences between interspecific relationship than intraspecific relationship (Table 4). [Conclusion] Our results indicate that these two bat species use relatively variant social vocalizations with different spectro-temporal features during parturition. Altogether, the data will provide a reference for further work on the function and vocal mechanisms of acoustic communication in nocturnal mammals.
[Objectives] Acoustic signals play a crucial role in transmitting information and maintaining social stability in animals, especially in gregarious bats which are considered to occupy the ecological niche of the night sky and rely primarily on biological sonar for navigating in the dark. Acoustic signals mediate a variety of life history events in nocturnal bats, including reproduction, foraging, communication and spatial navigation. The parturition is a crucial part of animal reproductive activity, directly determining the survival of offspring and their female parent. There has been little research on the parturition behavior of wild animals, particularly the vocalizations during parturition. In the present study, we aim to document the social vocal repertoire of Rhinolophus luctus and R. affinis during parturition. [Methods] We caught the pregnant bats with mist net or hand net from a nursery colony in Nanyang, Henan Province. All bats were taken into a temporary laboratory near the roost, and then were given mealworms and water. Vocalizations were picked up with the ultrasonic acquisition system using a sample rate of 250 kHz at 16 bits/sample. The pregnant bat’s behavior was monitored via an infrared camera. We measured 8 spectro-temporal parameters from the oscillogram and spectrogram to quantify syllable features (Table 1 and 2). Then multiple statistical analyses were conducted to map the acoustic boundaries of different syllables. [Results] A total of 89 syllables were obtained, among which 6 and 4 types were distinguished from the Woolly Horseshoe Bat and the Intermediate Horseshoe Bat, respectively (Fig. 1). The cumulative sum of the two largest eigenvalues (corresponding to the ?rst two principal components) obtained from the principal components analysis explained 71.36% of the total variation (Table 3). Based on the results of the discriminant function analyses associated with a subset-validation procedure, 40.5% of syllable types were correctly classified, which was significantly higher than expected by chance (Fig. 2a). Multidimensional scaling of mean values of multiple parameters further confirmed notable differences among these syllables in a three-dimensional space (Fig. 2b). In addition, Euclidean distance analysis showed that there were more significant differences between interspecific relationship than intraspecific relationship (Table 4). [Conclusion] Our results indicate that these two bat species use relatively variant social vocalizations with different spectro-temporal features during parturition. Altogether, the data will provide a reference for further work on the function and vocal mechanisms of acoustic communication in nocturnal mammals.
2024, 59(3):408-417.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423095
Abstract:
[Objectives] Forest Musk Deer Moschus berezovskii is first class protection wildlife in China. In order to protect the wild Forest Musk Deer population and meet the demand for natural musk in traditional Chinese medicine and other industries, China began to raise Forest Musk Deer artificially in the 1950s. Maintaining high genetic diversity of the population is the key factor to realize the sustainable growth and release of the captive Forest Musk Deer population into the wild. [Methods] In Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province, we collected feces samples from 95 Forest Musk Deer in two captive populations and kept all the samples in a lab refrigerator at﹣20 ℃ until DNA extraction. We selected published tetranucleotide microsatellite loci, then identified microsatellite loci that can be reliably amplified from fecal DNA. The forward primers of these loci were colored with fluorescent dyes and used to analyze the genetic diversity of 95 captive Forest Musk Deer. [Results] Twenty-five tetranucleotide microsatellite loci of Forest Musk Deer were obtained, of which 21 could be steadily amplified from fecal DNA, and two of them had chaotic peaks that were not suitable for analysis (Appendix 1). For the 19 microsatellite loci, there were 7 loci with polymorphism information content > 0.5, which were high polymorphism loci, and 10 loci were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05) (Table 1). Among the two populations studied, 95 individuals had 99 alleles and 43.880 5 effective alleles, the mean of Shannon’s index and polymorphism richness were 0.930 6 and 0.428 3 respectively. The mean observed heterozygosity was 0.449 4, and the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.467 5. The genetic diversity of the Fumin farm population was higher than that of the Haixing farm (Table 3). All the Forest Musk Deer individuals came from four gene clusters. The Forest Musk Deer of the Fumin farm mainly came from gene cluster 1 and 2, and the Forest Musk Deer of the Haixing farm mainly came from gene cluster 3 and 4 (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] The selected microsatellite loci were 13 more than the previous studies, which can provide a reference for future studies on genetic diversity of Forest Musk Deer based on fecal samples. The captive Forest Musk Deer in Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province showed high genetic diversity but a tendency to inbreed. The genetic differentiation of Fumin Forest Musk Deer farm and Haixing Forest Musk Deer farm was small, and there was a large gene flow. It is suggested that the provenance of each captive population can be changed to increase the degree of heterozygosity.
[Objectives] Forest Musk Deer Moschus berezovskii is first class protection wildlife in China. In order to protect the wild Forest Musk Deer population and meet the demand for natural musk in traditional Chinese medicine and other industries, China began to raise Forest Musk Deer artificially in the 1950s. Maintaining high genetic diversity of the population is the key factor to realize the sustainable growth and release of the captive Forest Musk Deer population into the wild. [Methods] In Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province, we collected feces samples from 95 Forest Musk Deer in two captive populations and kept all the samples in a lab refrigerator at﹣20 ℃ until DNA extraction. We selected published tetranucleotide microsatellite loci, then identified microsatellite loci that can be reliably amplified from fecal DNA. The forward primers of these loci were colored with fluorescent dyes and used to analyze the genetic diversity of 95 captive Forest Musk Deer. [Results] Twenty-five tetranucleotide microsatellite loci of Forest Musk Deer were obtained, of which 21 could be steadily amplified from fecal DNA, and two of them had chaotic peaks that were not suitable for analysis (Appendix 1). For the 19 microsatellite loci, there were 7 loci with polymorphism information content > 0.5, which were high polymorphism loci, and 10 loci were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05) (Table 1). Among the two populations studied, 95 individuals had 99 alleles and 43.880 5 effective alleles, the mean of Shannon’s index and polymorphism richness were 0.930 6 and 0.428 3 respectively. The mean observed heterozygosity was 0.449 4, and the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.467 5. The genetic diversity of the Fumin farm population was higher than that of the Haixing farm (Table 3). All the Forest Musk Deer individuals came from four gene clusters. The Forest Musk Deer of the Fumin farm mainly came from gene cluster 1 and 2, and the Forest Musk Deer of the Haixing farm mainly came from gene cluster 3 and 4 (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] The selected microsatellite loci were 13 more than the previous studies, which can provide a reference for future studies on genetic diversity of Forest Musk Deer based on fecal samples. The captive Forest Musk Deer in Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province showed high genetic diversity but a tendency to inbreed. The genetic differentiation of Fumin Forest Musk Deer farm and Haixing Forest Musk Deer farm was small, and there was a large gene flow. It is suggested that the provenance of each captive population can be changed to increase the degree of heterozygosity.
JIANG Hang-Dong
,
DONG Guo-Tai
,
QIN Min-Han
,
HUANG Li-Han
,
LUO Zhong-Hong
,
SUN Xia-Jing
,
YU Li
,
HUANG Xiao-Chun
,
ZHOU Hui
2024, 59(3):369-378.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423092
Abstract:
[Objectives] Little Gland Frog Glandirana minima is an endemic amphibian species in Fujian, China. It is evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR) in the Red List of Vertebrates in China, as well as Endangered (EN) by IUCN. It is listed as the second-class state key protected wildlife in China. Little Grand Frog has an extremely small population, but currently, it is not covered by any nature reserve in Fujian Province, facing a great risk of extinction. Moreover, since its first report in the late 1970s, there has been very little research available, which is not conducive to the implementation of relevant protection measures. Conducting field investigations and reassessing the endangered level of this species help to gain a deeper understanding of its survival and expansion capabilities in the wild, and to provide scientific data for formulating conservation strategies for the G. minima. [Methods] From July 2019 to August 2021, a continuous survey was conducted on the distribution, quantity, reproductive behavior, habitat, and microenvironment of the G. minima in its historical distribution points and the surrounding area of Fuzhou using visual encounter surveys and call counting methods. The number of the G. minima at each distribution point was determined by selecting the maximum count obtained from multiple surveys, accounting for variations in survey frequencies at each point. The total number of G. minima was determined by aggregating the counts of at each distribution point. The key identification features of the G. minima were determined through the utilization of image capture techniques and direct field observations. At the same time, according to the evaluation criteria of the IUCNRed List of Threatened Levels and Standards (version 3.1), a reassessment of the endangered level of the G. minima was conducted based on survey data. [Results] The main recognition feature of the G. minima is the longitudinal skin ribs with varying lengths in 8 rows on the back and the side (Fig. 1a and c), consistent with the description of the type specimen. Juveniles are similar to adults, with only shorter longitudinal skin edges (Fig. 1f). The population distribution shows significant changes compared to the historical records. Among the four historical distribution points of the G. minima (black triangles in Fig. 2), only the type specimen location (Lingshi Temple, Fuqing) still has the distribution of the G. minima (the southernmost black triangles in Fig. 2), and three new village level distribution points have been discovered around it; we did not find the distribution of the G. minima in three other historical sites (Yongquan Temple in Fuzhou, Fangguangyan in Yongtai, and Wenshu Temple in Changle), but a total of eight new village level distribution points have been discovered in other parts of their administrative regions (Fig. 2). In addition, 11 village level distribution points in 5 counties were newly found outside the administrative regions of historical distribution points (Fig. 2). Overall, there are 22 new village level distribution points added compared to historical distribution points. The area of the distribution region is 4 800 km2 (Fig. 2), which is six times the size of the historical distribution region. The suitable habitats for the G. minima are waterlogged fields, streams, ponds, small pool and mountainous areas with an altitude of 10﹣740 m (Table 1), with abandoned rice paddies being the main habitat (Table 1). The population size shows a characteristic that depends on the suitable habitat area, with a total of 459 ind among all distribution points (Table 1). Among them, 82.6% are distributed in areas with elevations above 100 m (Table 1). The preferred habitats are broad-leaved forests (Table 1). The breeding period is from May to July, and tadpoles can undergo metamorphosis in the same year or the following year. The reevaluation results show that the threatened state of the G. minima is between Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU). [Conclusion] The G. minima has strong adaptability to its habitat. However, anthropogenic changes in the water environment are the main threat faced by the G. minima. Drought can reduce the number of G. minima. Therefore, protecting the abandoned rice paddies, their microhabitats, and water sources, on which they rely for survival are key focuses of future conservation work. The G. minima is only distributed in a narrow region in Fuzhou and its northern area, further research is needed to reveal the internal mechanism of its narrow distribution.
[Objectives] Little Gland Frog Glandirana minima is an endemic amphibian species in Fujian, China. It is evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR) in the Red List of Vertebrates in China, as well as Endangered (EN) by IUCN. It is listed as the second-class state key protected wildlife in China. Little Grand Frog has an extremely small population, but currently, it is not covered by any nature reserve in Fujian Province, facing a great risk of extinction. Moreover, since its first report in the late 1970s, there has been very little research available, which is not conducive to the implementation of relevant protection measures. Conducting field investigations and reassessing the endangered level of this species help to gain a deeper understanding of its survival and expansion capabilities in the wild, and to provide scientific data for formulating conservation strategies for the G. minima. [Methods] From July 2019 to August 2021, a continuous survey was conducted on the distribution, quantity, reproductive behavior, habitat, and microenvironment of the G. minima in its historical distribution points and the surrounding area of Fuzhou using visual encounter surveys and call counting methods. The number of the G. minima at each distribution point was determined by selecting the maximum count obtained from multiple surveys, accounting for variations in survey frequencies at each point. The total number of G. minima was determined by aggregating the counts of at each distribution point. The key identification features of the G. minima were determined through the utilization of image capture techniques and direct field observations. At the same time, according to the evaluation criteria of the IUCNRed List of Threatened Levels and Standards (version 3.1), a reassessment of the endangered level of the G. minima was conducted based on survey data. [Results] The main recognition feature of the G. minima is the longitudinal skin ribs with varying lengths in 8 rows on the back and the side (Fig. 1a and c), consistent with the description of the type specimen. Juveniles are similar to adults, with only shorter longitudinal skin edges (Fig. 1f). The population distribution shows significant changes compared to the historical records. Among the four historical distribution points of the G. minima (black triangles in Fig. 2), only the type specimen location (Lingshi Temple, Fuqing) still has the distribution of the G. minima (the southernmost black triangles in Fig. 2), and three new village level distribution points have been discovered around it; we did not find the distribution of the G. minima in three other historical sites (Yongquan Temple in Fuzhou, Fangguangyan in Yongtai, and Wenshu Temple in Changle), but a total of eight new village level distribution points have been discovered in other parts of their administrative regions (Fig. 2). In addition, 11 village level distribution points in 5 counties were newly found outside the administrative regions of historical distribution points (Fig. 2). Overall, there are 22 new village level distribution points added compared to historical distribution points. The area of the distribution region is 4 800 km2 (Fig. 2), which is six times the size of the historical distribution region. The suitable habitats for the G. minima are waterlogged fields, streams, ponds, small pool and mountainous areas with an altitude of 10﹣740 m (Table 1), with abandoned rice paddies being the main habitat (Table 1). The population size shows a characteristic that depends on the suitable habitat area, with a total of 459 ind among all distribution points (Table 1). Among them, 82.6% are distributed in areas with elevations above 100 m (Table 1). The preferred habitats are broad-leaved forests (Table 1). The breeding period is from May to July, and tadpoles can undergo metamorphosis in the same year or the following year. The reevaluation results show that the threatened state of the G. minima is between Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU). [Conclusion] The G. minima has strong adaptability to its habitat. However, anthropogenic changes in the water environment are the main threat faced by the G. minima. Drought can reduce the number of G. minima. Therefore, protecting the abandoned rice paddies, their microhabitats, and water sources, on which they rely for survival are key focuses of future conservation work. The G. minima is only distributed in a narrow region in Fuzhou and its northern area, further research is needed to reveal the internal mechanism of its narrow distribution.
2024, 59(3):387-396.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423137
Abstract:
[Objectives] To provide basis for future research on gender generation and reproductive adaptation strategies of Corbicula clams, the sex composition of C. fluminea in the section Dingcheng of Yuan River, Hunan Province, was verified, and the potential sexual transition among male, female and hermaphrodites was also explored based on their shell length. In addition, the morphological characteristics was compared between monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms. [Methods] Histological techniques were used to analyze the sex composition and the morphology of sperms. The differences of head length between monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms were compared using T-test. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the shell length among sexes and the length differences among tails of sperms, and multiple comparisons were performed using least-significant difference (LSD). [Results] The minimum shell length at sexual maturity is 2.92 mm in males, 5.66 mm in females, and 5.30 mm in hermaphrodite individuals, respectively (n = 770), and their sex ratio was approximately 1︰1︰6 (n = 697) (Fig. 3). The average shell length of hermaphrodites (22.55 ± 0.33 mm) was significantly greater than that of the males (20.44 ± 1.03 mm) (P < 0.05) and the females (19.79 ± 0.99 mm) (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between males and females (P > 0.05) (Table 1). The C. fluminea population in the Yuan River can produce both monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms. The head length of monoflagellate sperms ranged from 4.93 to 21.79 μm, with a mean value of 14.27 ± 0.82 μm, and that of biflagellate sperms ranged from 10.29 to 22.04 μm, with a mean value of 15.62 ± 0.62 μm, with no significant difference between these two types of sperms (P > 0.05) (Table 2). The average length of long tails (38.07 ± 1.44 μm) was significantly greater than that of short tails (31.08 ± 1.60 μm) and the tails of monoflagellate sperms (30.15 ± 1.75 μm) (P < 0.01), while no significant difference in average flagella length was observed between the short tails and the tails of monoflagellate sperms (P > 0.05) (Table 2). [Conclusion] Our results indicated that the C. fluminea population in the section Dingcheng of Yuan River was protandrous, and with possible transition from male and/or female to hermaphrodite. There are two types of sperms:monoflagellate and biflagellate sperm with different tail length. The differences in motility and fertilization ability between coexisting monoflagellate and biflagellate sperm are worthy of further study.
[Objectives] To provide basis for future research on gender generation and reproductive adaptation strategies of Corbicula clams, the sex composition of C. fluminea in the section Dingcheng of Yuan River, Hunan Province, was verified, and the potential sexual transition among male, female and hermaphrodites was also explored based on their shell length. In addition, the morphological characteristics was compared between monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms. [Methods] Histological techniques were used to analyze the sex composition and the morphology of sperms. The differences of head length between monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms were compared using T-test. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the shell length among sexes and the length differences among tails of sperms, and multiple comparisons were performed using least-significant difference (LSD). [Results] The minimum shell length at sexual maturity is 2.92 mm in males, 5.66 mm in females, and 5.30 mm in hermaphrodite individuals, respectively (n = 770), and their sex ratio was approximately 1︰1︰6 (n = 697) (Fig. 3). The average shell length of hermaphrodites (22.55 ± 0.33 mm) was significantly greater than that of the males (20.44 ± 1.03 mm) (P < 0.05) and the females (19.79 ± 0.99 mm) (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between males and females (P > 0.05) (Table 1). The C. fluminea population in the Yuan River can produce both monoflagellate and biflagellate sperms. The head length of monoflagellate sperms ranged from 4.93 to 21.79 μm, with a mean value of 14.27 ± 0.82 μm, and that of biflagellate sperms ranged from 10.29 to 22.04 μm, with a mean value of 15.62 ± 0.62 μm, with no significant difference between these two types of sperms (P > 0.05) (Table 2). The average length of long tails (38.07 ± 1.44 μm) was significantly greater than that of short tails (31.08 ± 1.60 μm) and the tails of monoflagellate sperms (30.15 ± 1.75 μm) (P < 0.01), while no significant difference in average flagella length was observed between the short tails and the tails of monoflagellate sperms (P > 0.05) (Table 2). [Conclusion] Our results indicated that the C. fluminea population in the section Dingcheng of Yuan River was protandrous, and with possible transition from male and/or female to hermaphrodite. There are two types of sperms:monoflagellate and biflagellate sperm with different tail length. The differences in motility and fertilization ability between coexisting monoflagellate and biflagellate sperm are worthy of further study.
HUANG Wei
,
WU Jia-Yi
,
SHEN Li-Quan
,
ZHOU Xin
,
Lü Qin-Xin
,
QIN Yu-Hong
,
YUAN Nai-Xiu
,
ZENG Fan-Gang
,
MENG Xiu-Xiang
2024, 59(3):379-386.
DOI: 10.13859/j.cjz.202423072
Abstract:
[Objectives] Musk-extraction from captive Alpine Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster by Musk Deer breeding unit with relevant qualificationshas become an effective measure to provide musk sustainably. However, the related musk-extraction operation (MEO) may cause behavioral-physiological stress on Musk Deer because it involves manipulations such as capturing, holding of Musk Deer and musk-extracting handling. [Methods] This study was conducted in the breeding Center of Musk Deer in Xinglongshan, Gansu Province, between November and December, 2020. We determined the levels of fecal cortisol metabolites and activity of 46 male Musk Deer with MEO. Generalized linear model and analysis of variance were used to explore the potential behavioral-physiological effects from MEO on Musk Deer of different ages. [Results] We found that the level of fecal cortisol metabolites in adult Musk Deer after MEO (85.28 ± 5.00 ng/g) was significantly higher than before (56.08 ± 8.64 ng/g) (P < 0.05, Fig. 1), and it increased after MEO, peaking on the third day after MEO and recovering to normal level on the fourth day after MEO (Table 1). However, cortisol level in elderly Musk Deer was not affected by MEO (P < 0.05, Fig. 1). Activity level in elderly and adult Musk Deer decreased after MEO and reached the lowest values on the second day after MEO (elderly:59.04% ± 4.54%, adult:73.03% ± 7.71%) and then gradually recovered. However, only the elderly Musk Deer show significantly lower level of activity than that before MEO (74.09% ± 3.97%, P < 0.05, Table 2). [Conclusion] It was found that the MEO can cause behavioral-physiological stress on captive male Musk Deer, in which there existed the significant differences between age-classes.
[Objectives] Musk-extraction from captive Alpine Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster by Musk Deer breeding unit with relevant qualificationshas become an effective measure to provide musk sustainably. However, the related musk-extraction operation (MEO) may cause behavioral-physiological stress on Musk Deer because it involves manipulations such as capturing, holding of Musk Deer and musk-extracting handling. [Methods] This study was conducted in the breeding Center of Musk Deer in Xinglongshan, Gansu Province, between November and December, 2020. We determined the levels of fecal cortisol metabolites and activity of 46 male Musk Deer with MEO. Generalized linear model and analysis of variance were used to explore the potential behavioral-physiological effects from MEO on Musk Deer of different ages. [Results] We found that the level of fecal cortisol metabolites in adult Musk Deer after MEO (85.28 ± 5.00 ng/g) was significantly higher than before (56.08 ± 8.64 ng/g) (P < 0.05, Fig. 1), and it increased after MEO, peaking on the third day after MEO and recovering to normal level on the fourth day after MEO (Table 1). However, cortisol level in elderly Musk Deer was not affected by MEO (P < 0.05, Fig. 1). Activity level in elderly and adult Musk Deer decreased after MEO and reached the lowest values on the second day after MEO (elderly:59.04% ± 4.54%, adult:73.03% ± 7.71%) and then gradually recovered. However, only the elderly Musk Deer show significantly lower level of activity than that before MEO (74.09% ± 3.97%, P < 0.05, Table 2). [Conclusion] It was found that the MEO can cause behavioral-physiological stress on captive male Musk Deer, in which there existed the significant differences between age-classes.
